Feeder for and method of feeding flowable solids



June 17, 1969 c. w. VO G'T 3,450,441

" FEEDER FOR AND METHOD OF FEEDING FLOWABLE SOLIDS Filed Aug. 31, 1966 7 5 FIG. 1 I

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United States Patent US. Cl. 302-49 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This disclosure has to do with a feeder particularly adapted to convey flowable solids from a container. The feeder includes a housing in which there is mounted for rotation a rotor which includes a plurality of pockets for receiving the flowable solid. Each pocket has a wall which is of a porous construction for the flow of gases therethrough and each pocket has a radial opening. As each pocket is presented to an inlet of the housing, a vacuum is drawn through the wall thereof to draw in the flowable solid and to remove therefrom gas retained therein. The pocket filled with compacted material, is then sealed and rotated to the outlet where gas under pressure is forced through the wall of the pocket so as to discharge the material therefrom. The rotation of the rotor is continuous whereby there is a continuous filling and discharge operation.

This application is a continuation-in-part of my copending application Ser. No. 563,835, filed July 8, 1966, now Patent No. 3,399,931.

This invention relates in general to new and useful improvements in the feeding of flowable solids from a container.

At the present time numerous devices have been devised for the feeding of flowable solids, such as flour, cement, etc. from containers such as railway cars, trucks, etc. wherein the flowable solids are fluidized to effect the flow therefrom. However, in order that such movable containers may have a low center of gravity, they are built relatively low to the rails, road or other surfaces on which the containers move. In addition, in order to obtain a proper flow into centralized discharge areas, it is necessary that suitable hoppers be formed on the undersides of the containers. As a result, the outlets of these hoppers are relatively low to the ground.

Where the flow of the solids from the container out through the outlet of the hopper thereof is primarily by gravity flow, and the distance that the material can flow from such outlet to he discharge is relatively small, there is a tendency for the material to flow relatively slowly from the outlet of the hopper with the result that bridging or partial bridging of the material results inside the hopper adjacent its outlet which will prevent normal full discharge of material and in some cases blocks all fiow therefrom.

In view of the foregoing, it is the primary object of this invention to provide a novel feeder which may be positioned alongside a container and, if necessary, above the level of the outlet of the container and which feeder will apply a dependable and positive force which will react against the material in the hopper dependably to draw such material into the inlet of the feeder with assurance that no bridging will occur'in the hopper and which feeder will also apply a positive force against the material which has been drawn thereinto dependably to eject such material from said feeder.

Another object of this invention is to provide a novel feeder which is capable of operating with the inlet thereof in any desired position, including a bottom position, and wherein there is mounted within the housing of the feeder an impellor having pockets movable from communication with the inlet of the feeder to communication with the outlet of the feeder while providing a dependable air seal between such inlet and outlet, which pockets have wall surfaces that substantially completely provide air permeable passages therethrough, yet restrain passage of the flowable material and which feeder has means for applying suction through essentially the entire permeable wall surfaces of the pockets when they are in communication with the inlet to the feeder and means for applying air pressure through essentially the entire permeable wall surfaces of the pockets when they are in communication with the outlet of the feeder whereby the feeder will dependably and positively draw material from the hopper outlet to charge the pockets and will dependably and positively eject the material therefrom.

A further object of this invention is to provide a novel method of feeding a flowable solid from a container having an outlet positioned in a manner where there is insufficient space therebeneath for the practical mounting of a feeder for dependable and satisfactory gravity flow thereinto, the method including the steps of positioning a plurality of adjacent receptacles having substantially the entire wall surfaces thereof of permeable material adjacent the outlet of a container having flowable solids therein, coupling the receptacles in airtight relationship with respect to the outlet of the container, drawing a vacuum through substantially the entire wall surface of the receptacles to draw material from the outlet of the container into said receptacles, continuously and successively moving the charged receptacles away from the vacuum source into communication with an air pressure source for application of air pressure through substantially the entire wall surface of the receptacles for discharge of the material contained therein.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a novel method in accordance with the foregoing object wherein the feeder includes a rotating impellor, and the impellor is utilized both for the purpose of forming a seal between the suction end and the gaseous pressure end of the feeder and to mechanically convey the flowable solid between the inlet and outlet of the feeder continuously.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a feeder of the foregoing type wherein the individual pockets are formed entirely of a filter material and the only portions of the pockets walls which are not gas permeable are those portions receiving fasteners securing the pockets in place.

With the above and other objects in view that will hereinafter appear, the nature of the invention will be more clearly understood by reference to the following detailed description, the appended claims and the several views illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing: 1

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary plan view of a railway car having attached thereto a feeder formed in accordance with this invention and shows the manner in which the feeder is utilized to discharge the cargo of the railway car.

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged fragmenary vertical sectional view taken through the feeder of FIGURE 1 and shows specifically the details of the feed mechanism thereof.

FIGURE 3 is a schematic elevational view of a slightly modified form of feeder showing that the inlet thereof may slope upwardly from a position below the horizontal.

FIGURE 4 is a schematic elevational view similar to FIGURE 3 and shows the inlet of the feeder at the bottom thereof.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, it will be seen that there is illustarted in FIGURE 1 a container 5 which is mounted on suitable wheels for movement, the illustrated container 5 is a railway car which is mounted for movement along rails 6, but could be in the form of a truck or trailer. The container 5 has a bottom construction which includes one or more longitudinally spaced hoppers 7. The hopper 7 is provided with a discharge opening 8 through which flowable solids will readily flow by gravity.

In accordance with this invention, there is suitably secured to the bottom of the hopper 7 in sealed relation surrounding the opening 8 a discharge fitting 9. The discharge fitting 9 is equipped with an outlet 10.

It is proposed, in accordance with this invention, to provide a rotary feeder, which is generally referred to by the numeral 11, for drawing flowable solids from the railway car or container 5 and for thereafter pumping the flowable solids to another desired location. To this end, the feeder 11 has removably attached thereto at one end a suction hose 12 and at the opposite end a discharge fitting 13.

The feeder 11, as is best shown in FIGURE 2, includes a housing 14 which is provided with an inlet 15 and an outlet 16. The inlet 15 and the outlet 16 are so constructed to permit the hose 12 and fitting 13 to be readily coupled thereto.

The housing 14 has mounted therein for rotation a multiple pocket impellor 17 which includes a tubular shaft 18 through which the impellor is driven. The periphery of the impellor 17 is in the form of a plurality of pockets 19. It is to be noted that each pocket 19 is separately formed by a filter member 20. Although the filter members 20 may be of any desired construction, they are preferably of a cast slurry type with each filter element being removably secured to the tubular shaft 18 by screw type fasteners 20a which are preferably in the form of flat head cap screws.

At one end of the housing 11, there is provided a valve structure 21 to which there is connected a vacuum line 22 and a pressure line 23. The valve assembly 21 includes a valve member 24 which projects into the interior of the tubular shaft 18 in the manner clearly shown in FIGURE 2. The valve member 24 is sealed relative to the tubular shaft 18 by means of suitable seal members 25 and together with the tubular shaft 18 defines a vacuum passage 26 to which there is connected a vacuum port 27 to which, in turn, there is connected the vacuum line 22. The valve member 24, together with the tubular shaft 18, also defines a gaseous pressure passage 28 to which gases under pressure are delivered through a port 29 to which the pressure line 23 is connected.

It is to be noted that the filter elements 20 are provided at their axial ends with flanges 30. The flanges of e the adjacent filter elements 20 are in edge abutting relation and are suitably sealed together. In a like manner, the radial outer edges of adjacent filter elements 20 are suitably sealed toegther. As a result of this construction, between each of the filter element 20 there is formed a passage area 31, which passage areas substantially completely surround each of the pockets 19. A plurality of longitudinally spaced ports 32 extend radially through the tubuar shaft 18 for selective communication with the passages 26 and 28. Each of the ports 32 opens into one of the passage areas 31.

- The valve member 24 also has a central passage open to the atmosphere at one axial end thereof. Ports 51 and 52 radiate from the passage 50 for communication It is also to be noted that the filter elements 20, when secured to the tubular shaft -18 and to each other, define radiating vanes 33. The vanes 33 have outer peripheral surfaces 34 of the same radius as the interior of the housing 14 and form seals with the housing 14 between the inlet and outlet thereof. Of course, the ends of the impellor 17 will fit close to the ends of the housing 14 to provide end seals.

At this time it is pointed out that inasmuch as each pocket 19 is defined by a filter element, only that portion of the surface of each pocket occupied by the heads of the fasteners 20a is not a porous or filter surface. Depending upon the relative sizes of the pockets and the fasteners, it will be seen that up to 99 percent of the surface of each pocket 19 may be a porous surface with the minimum permissive percentage of filter surface of each pocket 19 being on the order of 90 percent.

After the flowable solid is drawn into the pockets 19 at the inlet of the feeder 11, the material is transported by the impellor 17 around to the outlet. Intermediate the inlet and the outlet, the pockets are sealed with respect to both the inlet and the outlet and therefore, not under the influence of either. As the pockets 19 come into alignment with the outlet of the feeder, air or other gases under pressure is directed into the pockets 19 and the flowable solid contained therein is driven out and is air entrained by the air passing through the pockets. In this manner, the flowable solid delivered to the outlet is moved through the discharge fitting 13.

The porous construction of the filter elements 20 has two additional principal advantages. First, when suction is applied through the surfaces thereof to draw the flowable solids into the pockets 19, there is automatically removed from the flowable solids entering into the pockets a great portion of the gases contained within the flowable solids whereby the efficiency of the feeder is at a maximum and the ratio of solids to air delivered by the feeder is also at a maximum. This permits many extremely fugitive products which have been virtually impossible to feed by air entrained to be successfully fed through the later introduction of air thereinto within the discharge fitting 13. The second advantage is that in addition to the gas under pressure passing radially outwardly through the feeder elements 20 effecting the discharge of the solids contained within the pockets 19, the gas under pressure automatically effects the cleaning of the surfaces of each pocket during the continuous operation of the feeder.

It is preferred that the discharge fitting 13 be of a T formation having a flanged coupling with the housing 14 at the outlet side thereof. It is also preferred that the flanged connection be recessed with respect to the path of travel of the pockets 19 in the manner best shown in FIGURE 2. The discharge fitting 13 is provided with an inlet 35 of which a portion is disposed in axial alignment with the pockets 19 at the outlet of the housing 14. An air supply line 26 is suitably coupled to the inlet 35 for directing air axially through the discharge fitting 13.

Air may be supplied through the air line 36 from any desired source. I

The discharge fitting 13 is also provided with an outlet 37 to which there may be removably secured a discharge hose 38. The hose 38 will be of a size to receive the combined flow of the air from the airline 36 and the flowable with the ports 32 to break the vacuum in the pockets 19 as they move between the inlet 15 and the outlet 16 and to relieve to atmospheric pressure the residual pressures in the pockets as they move between the outlet and the inlet.

solid from the feeder 11.

Although it is preferred that the flowable solid fed by the feeder 11 be air entrained after passing out of the outlet of the feeder 11, it is to be understood that under certain cricumstances, the discharge hose 38 may be coupled directly to the housing 14 in lieu of the use of the discharge fitting 13.

In FIGURE 1 there is illustrated the manner in which the feeder 11 is driven. The tubular shaft 18 is provided with a shaft extension 40 which is suitably coupled to a motive power unit 41 which may be in the form of an electric motor or a small internal combustion engine. The power unit 41 is provided with a second shaft which is coupled to a drive shaft 42 of a combined pressure and vacuum pump 43.

The vacuum line 22 is connected to the inlet side of the pump 43 while the pressure line 23 is connected to the outlet side. The pump 43 may also have coupled thereto a pressure line 44 which may be connected to the side of the railway car 5 for communication to the interior thereof near the bottom of the hopper whereby air under pressure may be delivered into the railway car for moving the flowable solids contained therein laterally towards the hopper opening 8.

At this time it is pointed out that the air pressure line 36 could feasibly be connected to the outlet of the pump 43 although the air for the line 36 may be supplied by a separate source.

The feeder is preferably mounted on a movable platform, such as the platform 46 which is supported by wheels 47. However, other mounting means may be provided.

Although normally it will be preferable to mount the feeder 11 in a horizontal position with the height differential between the inlet 15 and the outlet being compensated for by the bending of the suction hose 12, if desired, the housing 14 may be oriented in a manner to best facilitate the flow of solids under the influence of vacuum through the suction hose 12 into the housing 14. For example, in FIGURE 3, the inlet may slope uphill. In FIGURE 4, the inlet is illustrated as being at the bottom of the housing.

Although this application has been restricted to the constructional details of a preferred embodiment of the feeder, it is to be understood that minor variations may be made in the feeder construction without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A feeder for conveying flowable solids from a container having an outlet, said feeder comprising a housing having a radial inlet and an outlet, means for coupling said feeder inlet to the container outlet in sealed relation therewith, a rotatably mounted impellor in said housing, said impellor being provided with a plurality of circumferentially spaced adjacent pockets, each pocket having substantially its entire wall surface of gas permeable material which restrains passage therethrough of the flowable solids, means to rotate said impellor successively to move the pockets thereof from communication with the inlet of the housing to communication with the outlet therefrom while providing a gas seal between said inlet and said outlet, and means to provide suction through substantially the entire wall surface of said pockets when they are in communication with the housing inlet and to provide gas under pressure through substantially the entire wall surface of the pockets when they are in communication with the housing outlet.

2. The combination set forth in claim 1 in which the permeable side walls of adjacent pockets are spaced from each other to define a passageway between said side walls extending substantially the entire radial height thereof whereby the suction and gas under pressure may be applied to substantially the entire side wall surfaces of each of said pockets.

3. The combination set forth in claim 1 in which at least one of said pockets is a separate and distinct member.

4. The combination set forth in claim 1 in which said impellor comprises a central member and a plurality of pocket members, and said pockets are removably secured to said central member.

5. The feeder of claim 1 wherein the only portion of the wall surface of each pocket formed of material other than gas permeable material is occupied by securing means for each pocket.

6. The feeder of claim 1 wherein the portion of the wall surface of each pocket formed of said gas permeable material constitutes at least percent of said wall surface.

7. A method of feeding flowable solids from a container having an outlet having insufiicient space therebeneath for dependable and satisfactory gravity flow, said method including the steps of positioning a plurality of adjacent receptacles having substantially the entire Wall surfaces thereof of permeable material adjacent the outlet of a container having flowable solids therein, coupling one or more of the receptacles in gas-tight relationship with respect to the outlet of the container, drawing a vacuum through substantially the entire wall surface of such coupled receptacles to draw material from the outlet of the container into said receptacles, continuously and successively moving the charged receptacles away from the vacuum source into communication with a gaseous pressure source for discharge of the material contained therein.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the gaseous pressure for discharging the material contained within the receptacles is applied through substantially the entire wall surface of the receptacles and effects the automatic cleaning of the receptacles.

9. Method of claim 7 wherein material discharged from said receptacles is directly delivered into a flowing fiaseous stream separate and apart from said gas discharging material from said receptacles.

10. A feeder for continuously conveying flowable solids from a container having an outlet, said feeder comprising a housing having a radial inlet and a radial outlet, means for coupling said feeder inlet to said container outlet in sealed relation therewith, a rotatably mounted impellor in said housing, said impellor being provided with a plurality of circumferentially spaced adjacent pockets opening radially outwardly therefrom, each pocket having substantially its entire Wall surface of gas permeable material which restrains passage therethrough of the flowable solids, each of said pockets being of a lesser circumferential extent than said inlet and said outlet, means for rotating said impellor continuously to move said pockets from communication with said inlet to communication with said outlet while providing a gas tight seal between said inlet and said outlet, and means for providing suction through substantially the entire wall surface of said pockets when said pockets are in communication with said inlet and for providing gas under pressure through substantially the entire wall surface of said pockets when said pockets are in communication with said outlet.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,779,634 1/1957 Atkinson et al. 30249 1,521,911 1/1925 Skillins 30249 2,694,496 11/ 1954 Atkinson 30249 2,921,721 1/1960 Brooks 222194 FOREIGN PATENTS 474,112 6/ 1951 Canada.

ANDRES H. NIELSEN, Primary Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 222194 

